


Solo

by Helie_Bloom



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Anxiety Disorder, Depression, F/M, Murder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, vali is badass as heck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2019-08-28 23:56:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16733085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Helie_Bloom/pseuds/Helie_Bloom
Summary: "I don't understand why people say my father is a bad man. Everyone is imperfect and therefore we make mistakes. My father just happened to make so many that it caused the scent of death to stay with his family. My father was a family man despite what you may think. He was everything you could want in a father. He was kind, loving, gentle, intelligent, humorous...the list can go on and on. He never stopped supporting us and always loved his wife. I just wish that...his little mistakes didn't result in the demise of him, his wife, and one of his sons."Vali Leif Lokison thought that all of the goodness that he had experienced as a child would last forever. He had a bright and strong-willed father and a loving and forgiving mother. He even had a twin brother that would never leave his side in his darkest times. However, when Loki's actions against Midgard and Asgard not only get him in trouble with those realms but with the Mad Titan Thanos as well, the only color Vali could see for miles was red. The beautiful family that Vali has treasured for centuries was gone now and now he has to learn that the world is a cruel and unforgiving place, but it's home.





	1. Chapter 1

"My family is my strength and my weakness."  
\- Aishwarya Rai Bachchan 

I was born into this world surrounded by love and bliss, something that is quite hard to come by nowadays. My father was a prince of Asgard, brighter than his older brother Thor and one of the greatest sorcerers that the 9 realms had to offer. He was quite the prankster, tricking my mother every once and a while along with playing tricks on people that my grandfather Odin had in the palace. My mother was just as bright as my father and just as skilled regarding magic, but she had more restraint regarding her mischievous side. She played tricks when she deemed it appropriate compared to my father who couldn't stand a minute without deceiving someone with his trickery. My twin brother Narvi had to be a perfect combination of my parents not just in appearance, but in his disposition as well. He had my mother's strawberry blonde hair and hazel eyes, but he had my father's nose and mischievous smirk. He was definitely more outgoing than me, making friends with every person he met while I barely had any if you considered books my friends. He was quite a flirtatious person, using his eloquent speech to woo girls every few minutes, women only knowing me as his awkward little brother. Narvi was less of thinker and more of a doer, something that gave my parents headaches whenever his plans went awry. My father had told me that it reminded him of when he was little, our uncle Thor the outgoing one and my father being the shy and brighter one. My father had sworn to himself that he would not have fools as children so he did the best he could regarding schooling. He had taught us himself, meaning that we never had a governess or went to one of those public schools that commoners went to. That was when we lived in Asgard's palace, anyway. One night, my father had left, my mother in tears as she watched him go. The next time we saw him was when my mother took us to the dungeons, my father behind one of the cell's barriers. She told us he had allowed frost giants to come onto Asgardian soil and attempted to take over Midgard. Seeing him in such a position brought my mother grief that not even she could put into words. She spoke and ate less, not even able to move much before breaking down in a melancholic defeat, weeping for the sake of her husband. My father had always been the man that I could go to for help, the one person that I trusted with my darkest secrets. He helped me enrich my knowledge regarding magic, proud to watch me prosper and grow in an art that not many men had taken up in their lives. The man who I viewed as a hero had fallen without a chance to get back up in sight.  
After helping Thor stop the dark elves that had tried to claim our land, my father had become a free man, taking us to live in Vanaheim where he knew that we could live in peace...or so he thought. My mother and father had desperately tried to put their shattered relationship back together again, both wanting to feel the unconditional love that they had since the beginning. He became more involved in mine and Narvi's lives, teaching us spells that seemed inconceivable and even found more books for me to read with him. It felt as if my family was finally coming back together after the horrors that had damaged it in the first place. Life had returned in the gorgeous hazel eyes of my mother and my father had become humbled once again after he was given some time. Narvi had even fallen in love with one of the local girls in the town, something that my parents would never figure out. He would go to the town square every day, flirting with her enough times to make her faint from being flustered too much. When I saw them look at each other, the only thing that I could think of was our own parents. They looked at each other in a way that was unknown to those that peered at them from the outside. It was like they were talking with their eyes, gorgeous hazel kissing an emerald green as they were locked in a dance that would only cease if they looked away from each other. It was true love, something that they never explained to me before "The Purple Death" had come.  
Behind my father's loving smile were the demons that he had created for himself. When he let go of the Bifrost, he had created the demon of mourning, something that he had brought upon those who always loved him. I spent years of my life believing that my father was dead until my mother brought me into the dungeons that one blessed day. My mother denied wicked men who wanted to become a substitute father to her sons, something that my mother could not put up with. When he had left the dungeons, he created the demon of never ending anxiety, something that slithers around his conscience, waiting to strike and random moments to bring him to his knees. Those were the only two demons that had fueled the Mad Titan, the man who had dressed in red when he came for us. My mother knew of the Mad Titan when my father told her that he was the reason anxiety attacks plagued him. He told her that he was a man that would not stop until he was dead, but my mother always told him that she would never let it happen. She told him that when they were together, they'd be safe from the Mad Titan's clutches. How wrong he was.  
It was a normal day, my father was cooking dinner while my mother was showing my brother and I the art of needlework. She was sewing a picture of a double-headed snake onto a pillow that was supposed to be for the baby we were expecting, my brother staring at the snake with boredom drawn on his face. I was working on my own project, a tapestry that depicted one of the oldest family sketches we had done when we lived in Asgard. It was drawn when Narvi lost his first tooth, the artist making sure to recreate the large gap in my brother's mouth that he was so proud of. I had finished sewing my father, mother, and brother, but I was just starting my own picture. I had finished my head, grinning from ear to ear when I saw how accurately it reflected the sketch. I lifted it up and ran over to my father, shoving it in his face which seemed quite childish since I was roughly about 16 in human years.  
"Father! Look how accurate it is to the sketch!" I exclaimed proudly, my father scanning the tapestry with prideful emerald eyes as he finished cutting a potato.  
"That's incredible, Vali! Who knows, you might be better than your mother someday!" He replied, getting a playful huff from his wife.  
"Oh hush! At least I can get the thread through the needle without stabbing myself numerous times, Loki." She replied, my father rolling his eyes in return.  
"I know you love me, darling. Your mood swings are just trying to get me away from joking with you." He wittily replied, my mother ignoring him as she continued to sew.  
"When's doctor Reiner coming, father? We get to find out the gender of the baby today and I need to know if I should pick a boy's name or a girl's name!" Narvi whined, my father putting his kitchen knife down before turning to my brother.  
"Be patient, Narvi. He should be here any minute now." He said before he heard a knock on the door, a triumphant smirk on Narvi's face.  
"See! Even doctor Reiner could sense my enthusiasm!" He joked as my father looked out the window to see who was outside. That was when my father began to panic. He turned to my mother, skin as pale as snow as he quickly grabbed his satchel of knives that he used for hunting.  
"Sigyn, get out with the boys. Now. I-It's....I-It's-" He couldn't even finish his sentence before the door was kicked down, dust causing me to go in a coughing fit as my mother grabbed Narvi's hand and ran, my father doing the same with me. My legs began to burn as we ran into the forest, my father readying his magic if the time comes where he would have to give his family time to escape. Footsteps behind us caused my family to turn back, but my father suddenly stopping caused me to fall over. All of a sudden, I realized who had come for us: Thanos. I turned around, my heart stopping when I noticed that we had come across a cliff with Thanos blocking our only way out. He was gigantic, his pale purple skin making my bones shift around in their place. I noticed the pure and utter fear on my father's face, knowing that his demons had emerged from their hiding place and came to fight him, knowing that they would win.  
"Loki, what happened? You had such great power in your hands yet you threw it away." He began, his deep voice making my father back up a bit more, his gaze not leaving the eyes of the man who created his nightmares.  
"Thanos, let my family go! Take me, but spare my wife and children! My wife is expecting, Thanos! Do not shed innocent blood." He pleaded, squeezing my mother's hand tightly. Thanos didn't look phased at all, approaching us knowing that we had nowhere to run. He looked down at my mother, laying a hand on her ashen face.  
"This is your wife? She is a beautiful woman, Loki. You really did pick the prettiest flower in the garden. Let me take a closer look."He said, flicking my father's hand away from my mother as he picked her up, wrapping his hand around her neck. My mother kicked her legs and screamed, my father rushing to grab her back only for Thanos to put his index finger to his lips.  
"Life is a gift, Loki especially when it hasn't been born yet. I am quite happy that your baby isn't around to see this." He said, beginning to tighten his grip, my mother letting out strangled gasps as she struggled to get away from Thanos.  
"LET GO OF HER! SIGYN!" My father cried, his heart shattering as he heard his wife scream and struggle. Thanos stared my mother right in the eyes, sighing softly.  
"Marriage can be quite painful, right? Especially when your husband has made enemies that he really should not have made. I'm sorry little lady, but your husband's actions are sending you to your Valhalla a bit too early. Goodbye, little lady." He said, pressing against her neck as hard as he could, a heart stopping crack meeting my ears as my mother stopped struggling. Narvi seemed to be paralyzed with fear, his hands inching towards the dagger in his back pocket, a horrified and grief-stricken shriek escaping my father as Thanos dropped my mother's corpse to the ground. 

My father grabbed his dagger, tears streaming down his cheeks as he ran at Thanos, a mournful war cry escaping him as he swung his dagger gracefully at Thanos only to be blocked. He was in a state of panic, preventing him from using his magic effectively. He was struggling against his nightmare come to life, looking back at us with melancholic eyes.  
"BOYS! RUN! GET OUT OF HERE!" He shouted, trying to strike Thanos once again, the Mad Titan seeming to be amused by my father's struggles.  
"F-Father! You're scaring me..." I had rasped out, my father looking back again at us sharply, not paying attention to the effectiveness of his moves anymore, the only thing mattering to him was the safety of his children now.  
"I WANT YOU TO BE SCARED! RUN NOW!" He shouted before Thanos grabbed him by his free arm, my father struggling in his grasp, his eyes not leaving mine. The mischievous glow in his eyes now being replaced with complete fear and desperation. He knew that he would not make it out of this alive, but wanted to give anything he could to give his children a chance to live. Thanos looked my father up and down, taking the dagger out of his other hand.  
"This dagger is beautifully crafted, Loki. You must have used it quite a bit before trying to stab me with it. Perhaps it was a gift from your wife?" He asked, Loki not answering him, aggravation forming on Thanos's face.  
"If you don't answer me, then I suppose you have a lot of explaining to do with your wife. I'll help you get to her faster." He said, raising the dagger as my father let out a fearful cry not for his own sake, but that of his sons.  
"BOYS! RUN! GET HEIMDALL TO SUMMON THE BIFROST! I LOVE YOU! GO NO-" My father didn't get to finish his plea to us before his own dagger embedded itself into his skin, my father's pained cries being silenced as the dagger stabbed him again. Thanos sighed softly, dropping my father right next to my mother before turning to us.  
"Parents can be such a pain, am I wrong? I have two daughters of my own, Nebula and Gamora. Surely they would take a liking to you boys, but your father's sins taint any way for you to survive. You'll see your parents soon, little ones. I'll make sure of that." He said, approaching us ever so slowly. I desperately looked around for an exit before silently calling out to Heimdall.  
"HEIMDALL PLEASE! SAVE US!" I screamed just as I noticed Narvi was staring at his dagger like it was a forbidden treasure.  
"Narvi, dON'T-" I began, but was ignored when Narvi began to run at Thanos, tears forming in his eyes as anger fueled his body.  
"YOU KILLED MY PARENTS AND FOR THAT I CANNOT LET YOU ESCAPE!" He declared, swinging his dagger left and right, my body freezing up with fear as I watched my brother's useless attempt to kill the beast who had taken almost everything that he loved. Thanos shrugged and picked up my brother, flicking the dagger out of his hands.  
"You are just like your father, boy: foolish." He said as he grabbed my brother's head and snapped his neck, a horrified screech escaping my lungs as my brother fell among my parents as well. I backed up slowly, the deafening silence sending fear coursing through my veins. I looked down at the ground, all that I have ever loved laying in a decaying heap.  
"Let it happen, boy. Staying alive with nothing to live for is more painful than death. Accept your fate, little one." He said gently, almost in a fatherly tone as I continued to back up. I gave him the greatest smirk I could muster, looking him in the eyes this time as I neared the edge of the cliff.  
"You're right. Let me do the dirty work for you." I said, stretching out my arms as I fell backwards, the cliff becoming a small image and the ocean below growing closer.  
"HEIMDALL!" I shouted, closing my eyes as I suddenly felt something hit me and it definitely wasn't the ocean. I opened my eyes to be surrounded by a symphony of colors, a sigh of relief escaping me. 'Heimdall, you late son of a witch.' I thought before noticing the colors of the Bifrost had changed into blue skies. I looked under me, only one thought making it to my mind before I saw darkness: 

'OH SHIT! SIDEWALK!'


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Grief is like the ocean; it comes in waves, ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim." - Vicki Harrison

              _I awoke to the sweet sound of someone calling my name. Their boisterous tone seemed familiar and their voice had brought comfort to me before, yet I still had no idea who was calling me. I opened an eye, seeing the figure of someone that could break me in just one fluent movement. His eyes were like my mother's: a sweet hazel and his hair a bewitching strawberry blonde. He grinned from ear to ear once he noticed that I was awake from that smile alone I knew who it was and it had brought tears to my eyes._

_"Thank the Allfather you're awake! You fell asleep under the tree in the back and stayed that way for so long to the point where father was going to pour freezing water all over you!" He exclaimed, chuckling once he noticed the bewildered expression that was painted on my face._

_"Narvi, what happened? I thought the Mad Titan had killed you, mother, father, and the baby!" I replied, a hearty laugh leaving my twin brother as tears formed in his eyes from laughing too hard._

_"That's hilarious! The Mad Titan killing our family? That is absolutely ridiculous, Vali! HA! Go tell father what you said! That would surely get a laugh out of him and relieve some of the stress he's under from caring for our sister!" He had said, any form of uncertainty in my mind now increasing as I pondered what in the name of the Allfather was going on. Mother had the baby already? That's impossible! She still has a few more months left until the due date arrives! I chuckled nervously, sitting up from what I now realized was the lush grass under the tree in our backyard before getting up and heading to my beloved home in Vanaheim. When I opened the door, I saw my mother sitting in her rocking chair, doing needlework like she always did in her free time. My father was standing by the window, pointing to things outside with a little bundle in his arms. I squinted before realizing that he was holding a baby: the very baby that Thanos killed when he had choked my mother to death. My mother looked up, a grin on her face as she put down her latest project on the table beside her._

_"Ah! Vali! Welcome back! Did you sleep well?" She asked, her soothing voice almost brought tears to my eyes as I approached her, nodding my head slowly just as my father turned around._

_"We haven't seen you sleep like that since you were a wee babe. It was quite amusing." He added, a sheepish smile forming on my face as my father turned back to the window. My mother noticed my worry and confusion, frowning slightly._

_"Is something wrong, my son?" She asked, laying a hand on my shoulder. I would have been welcome to the gesture, but I pulled away immediately when my mother's hand touched my shoulder. Her hand was freezing cold as it contacted my skin. I let out a sharp gasp when I pulled away from her, noticing that my father's eyes had turned a crimson red, the baby he was holding now nothing but a small skeleton in a bundle of fur._

_"Wake up, Vali." He said, but his voice was not his own, but the voice of the Mad Titan's. I stepped back from my parents, eyes wide with horror as they stepped closer. I ran out of the house, noticing Narvi was nothing but a corpse under the tree as I ran past him into the forest. I had run faster and faster until my legs couldn't function anymore and I fell on my knees. I looked up at the sky that had morphed from a sapphire blue to a ruby red. I noticed that I was back where I was before, on the cliff where my family had been taken from me. I walked closer and closer, noticing that Thanos was standing by the edge of the cliff. He turned to me, gesturing towards the cliff._

_"Jump, little one. Rid yourself of this reality." He said, my feet moving me closer and closer to the edge. I closed my eyes and jumped, the wind howling around me as the ocean quickly rushed up to great my face and a great crash was heard._

I had shot up from wherever I was laying down, numerous hands pushing me back down on a stiff white bed. My head was throbbing and I could have sworn that I had felt the copper taste of blood enter my mouth. I had begun to panic, my once calm breathing turning into frantic hyperventilating as I felt a warm hand on my shoulder.

"Hey! Breathe! Relax! What is your name?" Came an urgent tone, the voice feminine as I slowly turned my head to find where the voice had come from. My vision had become too blurry to decipher a face, but instead of just one, I found numerous faces, each one a different skin tone with different facial features.

"M-My name...Vali...Lokison." I had managed to say, my speech slurred as I felt numerous pricks on my arms and something enter my nose, yet my ability to breathe had become better.

"Who are your parents?" The voice asked again as the urge to sleep had gotten more appealing.

"Loki...Laufeyson is my...father...and Sigyn...Iswaldisdottir...is my...mother." I had rasped out, my eyes slowly beginning to close. The voice had stopped asking questions as I fell into a dreamless sleep, the reality that my parents and brother were gone forever entering my soul.

 

  
**Tony Stark's P.O.V.**

            I had been in my lab, a bottle of whiskey in hand as I typed endlessly on a keyboard, hearing my friends joke carelessly upstairs.

"Mr.Stark, a report from Mount Sinai Hospital indicates that a boy with the name of Vali claims to be the son of Loki and had fallen from the sky and is currently under their care. He is surprisingly expected to recover from his fall and requested to see Mr.Odinson." J.A.R.V.I.S. had stated and I almost lost my grip on my bottle. I thanked J.A.R.V.I.S. quickly before running upstairs, the other Avengers turning to face me.

"Guys, J.A.R.V.I.S. told me that a kid fell from the sky and is now in the hospital and is supposedly Loki's kid. His name is...Vaki?" I said, trying his best to remember the name. Thor's once cheerful and carefree expression turned into a serious one as he approached me.

"Vali? What in the name of Asgard could Vali be doing on Midgard?" He questioned, Steve blinking as he tried to process all of the information that he had been given.

"Yeah...Wait, are you saying that this is for real?" I asked, Thor managing a grim nod.

"Indeed. Vali is one of Loki's two twin boys. His mother is my brother's beloved wife Sigyn Iswaldisdottir." He answered with all seriousness and I almost choked when I tried to take a sip of whiskey.

"Woah! You're telling me that Mr.Horned Helmet Von-Crazy Killer is married?! With kids?!" Clint shouted, Thor turned to him with a wide grin on his face as he nodded like he was trying to hide his worry.

"Of course! He also has many children that came before his marriage to Sigyn. Don't even get me started on Sleipnir." Thor replied, a lot of us trying to remain undisturbed over the thought of the well-known eight-legged horse.

"That doesn't matter right now. What matters is that Loki's son just fell from the sky and is in the hospital. It's kind of obvious that he isn't here on a casual trip to Earth." Steve said firmly as I put my whiskey bottle down after taking one last desperate sip from it.

"Captain Tinkerbell's right. Let's take a look at this kid." I said, getting an eye-roll from Steve as we got ready to brace ourselves for what we were going to see.

 

When we were escorted to the hospital room where this kid of Loki was, Thor almost let out a cry of anguish at the sight of his nephew when he first walked in. The kid was almost a carbon copy of his father. He had the same raven hair, skin as pale as the moonlight, and face shape. All that was different was that he had hazel eyes which I guess he got from his mother. Thor walked over, holding his hand and squeezing it tightly. Despite him being the child of someone who killed so many, Thor cared for this kid like he was a forbidden treasure. After noticing the kid was awake and had finally noticed his presence, Thor asked this kid a very important question.

"Vali, why are you here?" He had asked, the rest of us listening in for his answer.

"The Mad Titan found us. Mother was...expecting a baby. The Mad Titan had strangled her to death not caring that he was killing an innocent life with her. Father had tried to give my brother and I time to escape. The Mad Titan Thanos killed him too. Narvi tried to kill him in a fit of blind rage. He died as well." I had to admit that I was surprised at how clearly this kid said that his whole family was dead. It really takes heart to say that with a brave face on. Thor had just sat there, frozen in shock. His brother, sister-in-law, nephew, and future nephew or niece died at the hands of this Mad Titan guy.

"Vali, you must be giving me some form of jest. Your family is a strong one. How could they fall at the hands of a mere man?" Thor asked, Loki Jr. staring his uncle in the face with dead forest green eyes.

"He is no man. Thanos is a monster." He spoke quickly before going into a coughing fit. Thor's eyes widened as if he had an epiphany in his own slow, walnut-sized mind.

"Thanos...killed them all. No wonder they had fallen so fast." He mumbled before Steve put a hand on the God of Thunder's shoulder.

"Thor, Loki was not a weak guy. I don't think he raised his kids to be weak. I'm sure they didn't go down without a fight against whoever this Thanos guy is." Steve reassured him, Loki's spawn coughing as he tried to clear his throat.

"Thanos is a madman. He was behind the attack on your precious New York. When my father had encountered that Mad Titan after he fell from the Bifrost, he endured horrors that bring him to tears if he remembered them. He had demons that only he could understand. Mother could never seem to provide him comfort when his trauma pounced on him spontaneously. He never got a good night's sleep, nightmares popping up and scaring him awake. Seeing the cause of his nightmares in real life limited his ability to put up a fight at the height of his power. He had also witnessed the murder of his wife and unborn child. My father no doubt could have fought better, but he couldn't bring himself out of his fearful state. He knew that and used the strength he could muster to act as a deterrent against Thanos's intention to kill us all. He used his life as a sacrifice just to give his sons a chance to live. If only he knew that only one of his sons would make it out of this alive." I never thought a kid like this could say things so poetically. Every sentence was like some form of a ballad or seemed like it came from one of Peter's weird fanfics. His emotions had obviously influenced his words and I could assume that the only person that could have taught him that kind of wording: his father. This kid's Edgar Allen Poe-like wording shook us to our core. Loki seemed just like a narcissistic killer on the outside, but the inside there were so many demons that haunted him because of the things he's seen. He was more human than what so many of us thought him to be.

Thor took in a shaky breath, meeting Reindeer Games Jr.'s gaze once again, almost like he was looking into the eyes of an executioner.

"I'm so sorry that I couldn't save them, Vali. I should have known that something was wrong. I'm such a fool for not knowing earlier." He said, his nephew shaking his head quickly.

"No. There was nothing that you could have done. Thanos would have killed you too. You're all that I have left and..I don't want to lose you too." Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer replied, his eyes becoming glassy with tears. I never thought that I would feel sympathy for the child of a crazy man who tried to rule Earth. My parents were lost to me years ago and no matter how difficult my relationship with my dad was, there is always a connection to them that you can't shake. No kid should ever lose their parents at such a young age, even if they are complete lunatics.

"My brother is gone, Vali and I would have said that with him dies my heart and soul, but that is simply not true." Thor's words confused the poor kid as he opened his mouth to speak, but then Thor shook his head to silence him.

"I will explain it to you sometime soon. All I want you to do is rest and recover. Falling from the sky onto the Midgardian sidewalk must have hurt." He said only to notice that his nephew was already fast asleep. Thor turned to us, a sad smile on his face.

"Thor, we're so sorry. You need time to mourn with your nephew." Bruce said, Thor giving him a thankful nod as he turned back to the sleeping orphan.

"We'll be at the tower. Come back whenever you feel like you want to." I said, turning on my heels to leave. Man, was I going to drink as soon as I got back.

 

**Thor's P.O.V.**

 

            I gazed upon my brother's son, every inch of him making me want to break down all over again. Everything about him shouted "Loki" and I couldn't handle the heartache it caused me. My brother: my closest ally was gone. He can't die not knowing all of the things I wanted to say. All of the things we need to get done now slowly turning to dust. Does Heimdall know of this tragedy? Surely he does if he was the one to bring Vali here. I bit my lip, sighing softly. When Vali feels up to it, I shall ask him to take me where my brother took his last breath. Maybe then I can bring him and the rest of his fallen family to my father and hopefully give them the royal funeral that they deserve. I turned back to Vali, a small smile now forming on my face. My brother comes to comfort me in the form of his beloved son. This boy is his legacy and I will guide him to gain the vengeance that he desperately wants. that is not a statement, but a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovelies! I am so glad that you decided to stick around for chapter two! I bet you guys noticed that Tony hadn't called Vali by his name the entire story.You might also notice how odd Vali's dream was. They were not mistakes or attempts at making my paragraphs bigger. It actually had some meaning to it which you can decipher and tell me in the comments! I love hearing from you guys and hope to hear a lot from you! Tell me about how you felt about the chapter in the comments and I can't wait to begin chapter 3! Until then, have an amazing day!


	3. Brave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "No man I ever met was my father's equal, and I never loved any other man as much."- Hedy Lamarr
> 
> Vali thinks about all that he's lost as he recovers and remembers one moment he had with his father and brother that aids him on making a goal that would take a ton of energy and persuasion to accomplish. However, he would never let his father remain forgotten and looked down upon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! I have been extremely busy these past few months and I am finally starting to get back on track. My stories are going to be worked on when I can and I promise that I'll do whatever I can to write the next chapter as soon as I can. I'm exhausted mentally, emotionally, and physically right now so excuse the potential errors in the content. Please comment on what you think of anything! The plot, characters, relationships, etc.!!!! Love you guys!

**_Vali's Point of View_ **

         Despite feeling fine, the doctors at this dreaded place have insisted that I stay in this bloody alabaster room until they deemed me "healthy" enough to leave and go back to where my uncle resided. Despite knowing him for half of my life, my uncle never really got to know me as a person. My father told me that he had been the first person besides himself and my mother to hold my brother and I. He also told me of how my uncle could wield the every-powerful hammer Mjolnir. Even though Odin valued Thor more than the more logical of his sons, Loki never hesitated to praise his brother and tell his children of his many feats. I never understood how he did it as I have had a similar situation with my brother, yet it is also quite different. My father made a vow when we were born to make sure that he treated each and every one of us equally and to value us for our individual talents and never let one twin overshadow the other. He didn't want to become like Odin and he succeeded on his part, but the village was different. Like every other realm, the people of the nearby village put my brother on a golden pedestal with his brawn and great defeats of mighty beasts while they viewed me as his slim brother who was too smart for his own good. That's what made my relationship with my father stronger as when he looked in my eyes, he saw himself. He did not want me to walk down the same dark path as he did. As I continued to think of the man who I valued so much, I remembered the good days when my brother and I were young with stars in our eyes, innocent to the wars and pain outside in the rest of the world. 

 

_ We were young, no older than eight in human years. Narvi was always wanting to go the forest and explore what nature had to offer the people of Vanaheim. Of course, my mother was extremely hesitant at first, not wanting to risk her little boy to get hurt if he was not careful. However, my father was all for it but did not let my brother go on his own. Instead, he said we go could go through the forest as a family yet my mother declined the offer, claiming that she wished to watch over the house instead. This being said, my father took Narvi and I to the forest for a few nights. It was incredibly fun as we learned how to climb trees, find constellations, and even how to read the stars. My father was like a library, full of knowledge and just waiting to give it to others. However, my father also had one more plan before we would make our way back home. My father had set up two targets that morning when my brother and I were climbing trees. Of course as soon as he was done my father called us back and helped us down to prevent us from falling. The last thing he wanted was to get an earful from his wife about how he should have been more careful. When we saw the targets, my brother was the first to ask. _

_ "Father, what exactly are those for?" He asked, my father's trademark mischievous smirk indicating that it was going to be an entertaining day.  _

_ "Thank you for asking, my dear boy. Today I shall teach you archery, one of the greatest practices you can pick up. My mother taught it to me along with magic when I was younger, but magic is still too much for boys your age." He said, a small whine leaving my brother. He had heard of the adventures people had and how magic aided them on their quests and it was not surprising that my brother wanted to do the same. My father chuckled a bit, ruffling my brother's strawberry blonde hair.  _

_ "That time will come, my son. Don't worry. Archery is sure to help you on your future adventures as it has helped me." He said as Narvi's face lit up once more.  _

_ "Did it aid you when it came to fighting the heroes of Midgard?" He asked curiously, my father's warm smile being replaced with a straight line as he seemed apprehensive at first. My father did not like talking about his defeat when against the Avengers nor did he like talking about his punishment that followed. Because of his actions, he lost the ability to see his children grow up and change as the seasons pass by. Of course after he faked his death and his brother believed him to be dead, he came to reunite with his family once more. Despite this, we were not blind to his suffering after being free of his prison. While his physical imprisonment was over, his mental prison seemingly got tighter and almost crippling at times.  _

_ “No, my boy. I did not use my archery skills to fight the heroes of Midgard. That is why I want to teach you so that way when trouble comes your way, you will be able to protect yourself and rise above them victoriously.” He said simply, taking out two bows and quivers filled to the brim with arrows. He then proceeded to teach us how to hold a bow and explain how pulling the string back had a huge impact on the arrow and how far it would fly. _

_ Narvi struggled more than I did as I was known for being the quicker learner. However, my father did not hesitate to help my brother catch up to me. My first few shots didn’t even make it to the target, but as they started off at the edge of the target, they slowly climbed up to the center of the target. Narvi’s arrows automatically hit the center once he got the hang of it. Of course, my father was proud of the both of us, but I could not help but feel worthless. When Narvi finally got the hang of something, he seemingly did it with perfection while I would study every aspect of it and work my way up to the top. My parents admired it while everyone else disregarded it. I shot an arrow way past the target and deep into the wood. I sighed softly and felt warm tears form in my eyes. My father had knelt before me and wiped my tears away gently with his thumb, giving me the loving smile that he showed when he wanted to provide comfort to us.  _

_ “Do not cry, my boy. Failure is the best way to learn and grow. Go on, retrieve your arrow.” He encouraged me and I nodded, hugging him before running into the woods in the direction where my arrow had flown. I had found it embedded in the trunk of the tree and carefully pulled it out, but heard whispering nearby. I looked up to see bright pixies, mythical creatures that my father used to talk about in his tales of when he was a Prince of Asgard. I smiled up at them and waved but froze when I heard growling nearby. I turned around to see a bear larger than the front door to my house, yellow and sharp teeth bared and a loud roar leaving it as I let out a horrified scream and began to run back to the camp. I didn’t even make it back to the camp when my father showed up, his own bow in hand and quiver on his back as he quickly shot an arrow at it only for the bear to thrash around and roar in anger. My father quickly began to chant, hands glowing a bright green as he did so. Narvi pulled me away from our father quickly, watching as the bear roared over in agony, falling onto its side as it thrashed around in pain. My father quickly took out a dagger and threw it, the small weapon’s tip embedding itself in the bear’s head as it stopped moving. My father quickly ran back to us, pulling us into a tight hug.  _

_ “Are you both alright?” He asked, his voice cracking as his tone turned desperate and worried, Narvi trying to put on the charming smile that matched our father’s.  _

_ “We’re fine, Pappa!” He said, my father turning to me as I managed a small nod. He had let out a sigh of relief, holding us a little closer afterwards.  _

_ “This proves as a lesson to you boys as most things do. Whenever danger comes creeping along the corner or you are present at death’s door, Pappa will always be there to help you and guide you. Remember that, boys. I love you.” He said, his voice as soft and smooth as silk. Of course he loved us so this moment was nothing out of the ordinary to us. We thought our father was going to live with us forever and be there for us when we needed him to. Now...I know much better. _

  
I was sitting up in my hospital bed, the constant beeping of my heart monitor irritating me. It was a constant reminder that I was alive and that my family was gone. My father was gone. He was the only in my family that truly understood me and loved me when nobody gave a damn about me. He was my hero and the one person that I could always trust even when he was dealing with his own demons. Now that man, that strong-willed and charming man, was dead. He didn’t die like a warrior. He didn’t die like a loser. He died in his own unique way that showed everyone who would hear of his death that he was a hero that deserved to be honored. I smiled a bit. I was going to make sure my father got the true warrior’s funeral he deserved, in fact I was going to make sure my whole family did. My mother tried to protect the baby that was going to bless our family with their coming into the world. My brother...my other half...he tried to use every ounce of emotion and strength he had left to save me and he did. Without his sacrifice, I would not have had enough time to get to New York...my family’s murder would remain unknown and I would be dead. Finally, my father. He did not care that he was going to die looking like a coward or like a damsel in distress. He did what he could to look at his demons right in the face and use everything he could muster to give his two little boys time to escape death...just like he promised he would. I will not let him die in vain. I vow that upon my life.


	4. Reminisce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Earth's Mightiest Heroes finally find out a little more about the man that seemed gone from their lives, that is until his son came falling from the sky.

_**"The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living." - Marcus Tullius Cicero** _

 

     The tower was usually filled with much activity during the day. They went on scouting missions and fight a villain or two which was more entertaining than it was stressful as their team dynamics were seemingly better than before. They were heroes in the daylight but were just a group of regular friends by night. They’d sit at the top of the tower, drinking and telling each other jokes or stories. It was usually the perfect way to unwind and strengthen their relationships with each other like any other group of friends would. However, everything was rather different once the son of Loki came crashing down onto their planet.  
Instead of drinking and joking, everyone was working around the clock to do the best that they could regarding monitoring Vali’s condition. The person that was involved the most was Thor. Usually, they would decide against him being involved in a personal case as he would make more mistakes than the team could afford regarding the investigation, but the God of Thunder was extremely persistent in being involved in his nephew’s life. At first, Steve gave him a clear and firm no, not wanting to risk Thor ruining any leads they have and letting his emotions take advantage of him, opening up the teams to more mistakes waiting to be made. Then, Thor had demanded to be a part of the investigation as not only did he lose his brother, sister-in-law, nephew, and unborn nephew or niece, but is left with his broken nephew who he longs to put back together. Once Steve had put it back into perspective, he gave Thor permission and the number of tears shed that day were more than the amount of shots Tony had taken after the Battle of New York. He was awfully quiet rather than boisterously telling his friends tales from his time in Asgard, usually training as hard as he could. When he wasn’t training, he was drinking. Beer seemed to be his number one comfort at the moment and while it was worrying everyone else, they remained silent and let the man grieve.  
     Clint and Natasha seemed to act the same way. As a family man, Clint never seemed to fathom the idea of someday losing all of his family on the same day. The very idea made him feel sick to his stomach. A family acted as one unit, yet had so many different quirks within. Everyone was different and grew to love everyone else around them. The thought of all of that love and friendship burning and shriveling up into ashes was unfathomable. Thor and Vali only had each other and would need to confide in each other. Though Loki was not a good guy whatsoever in Clint’s eyes, he felt for the kid and would take away his pain if he could. Losing his parents at an age where he needed them the most no doubt traumatized him and it would take a lot for him to get back on his feet once more. Natasha’s felt privileged to see Clint’s family grow and change over time. Seeing such a unified and happy household sometimes made her realize how lucky she was to be an Avenger and have the family that she never had growing up. She believed that everyone deserved such a loving place where they could always feel safe so therefore seeing Vali’s safe place turn into a pool of blood and decay in front of his face made her heart ache. One part of her told her that this was all a trick: a setup by Loki to set their attention away from fighting crime so he can move forward with his own vendettas, but the other half of her told her that what she was seeing was real and it left a young teenager ridden of the people he needed the most in his life. She wanted him to feel loved. She wanted him to feel safe.  
     Bruce never really understood why people still made a big deal over the Battle of New York. Yes, many were lost in Loki’s path of recklessness, but he believed that time would heal all wounds. Thor couldn’t walk around alone without being pestered about what Asgard had done to Loki and he didn’t have the heart to tell those who lost family and friends to his brother that Loki was free and in hiding. However, the only response that he would tell them now is the truth: Loki was dead. Bruce was all for the guy getting what he deserved but started rethinking his former philosophy when he found out that he had children. A father is a father and that is a bond that a kid should be able to have throughout his or her life. It is a bond that should never be cut short. Unfortunately, Loki’s actions in the past led to the demise of both himself and his family. While Loki should have seen that coming, he couldn’t help but feel bad for the guy. From what Vali said during their first encounter with him, he seemed like he was really getting his life back together. Heck, he was expecting another kid and had a healthy family life. If that wasn’t a good comeback, Bruce didn’t know what was. He just hoped they would be able to avenge him.  
     Tony was most definitely not a fan of Reindeer Games. THE GUY THREW HIM OUT A WINDOW FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Just the thought of Loki made his skin crawl and rage begin to boil. He destroyed a beautiful city and killed anyone who stood in his way without any regrets whatsoever. He plagued him with so many nightmares that Pepper would have to stay up with him for numerous nights to make sure that he didn’t drive himself insane. That man deserved to die. No, that man deserved to rot in prison for the rest of his life without seeing even a bit of sunshine for the rest of his days. At least, that’s what he used to think. That was before he met the kid. When he walked into that hospital room, the kid looked like a carbon copy of his father. He had the raven hair, mischievous green eyes, and even the facial structure was just like his father’s. If he didn’t know any better, he would have punted the kid as soon as their eyes met just because of the fact that seeing someone that resembled Loki in so many ways triggered him very much. However, when he heard the boy speak it made him think a bit differently. When he described the deaths of his family, Tony felt something inside of him just break. He truly saw the agony in the boy’s eyes and it brought him the realization that it didn’t matter whether or not he was the son of Loki. A child was still a child. Perhaps he should provide the child some comfort later on. If there was one thing that a kid needed in life, it had to be the love and attention they receive from their parents. That kid just had both of them taken away plus his brother. He needed a new family and Tony hoped he would have the heart to give that to him.  
     Steve always learned to look at the bigger picture. He was never arrogant and never overlooked details. One of the things he swore never to do was treat a person a certain way without know that bigger picture. That was being put to the test with Vali. That kid was the son of the guy who took many lives and Steve believed that Loki deserved to be served a great amount of justice for his crimes, but he never knew that at the same time the God of Mischief and Lies had little ones of his own to look after. At the end of the day, there was always someone to come home to. In this case, Loki came home to his kids. However, those boys missed out on a lot of time with their father for something he had done. It was unfathomable to Steve to imagine a child left a few weeks without their parents let alone months and years. That kid had heart, trying to look strong in front of them even though he was dealing with one of the greatest pains a human being had to cope with: loss. Steve hopes that he can turn this child’s life around and make sure that he did not become the dark person his father had become.

     That Thursday, they had all agreed to pay Vali a visit. The boy was still not allowed to leave his bed let alone get checked out of the hospital despite him insisting that he felt fine. They were heading to the hospital in silence, watching the blurred lines of people and cars zoom past them as they drove to the containment area for their little Reindeer Games Jr. They walked down the alabaster hallways in silence, trying to push out the pained cries of children and weeping of families in different rooms. Thor was the first to go inside, Vali looking up and his gaze softening once he realized who had come in. Thor offered him a soft smile, trying to remain positive despite the agonizing pain in his heart just for seeing the boy that looked so much like his father.  
“Well, you look better.” He said, a ghostly chuckle leaving the bedridden boy’s lips. He ran a hand through his jet black hair, minding the IV that was clinging onto his arm. He seemed a bit better than the last time they had seen him, his skin gaining a bit more color and his awareness of everything around him growing sharper.  
“Time does heal wounds...mainly the physical ones.” He said as he suddenly paused and looked at the door.  
“Is anyone else there? I can sense their energy...like they are just around the corner.” He said softly as Thor nodded and waved his hand at whoever was behind the door. There stood Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the very men that put Vali’s father behind bars in the first place. There was a pregnant silence for a moment, nobody becoming able to form any words to say to the young lad. Finally, Tony spoke up first.  
“Wow, this place is pretty depressing.” He said dryly, Vali looking around the room as a soft chuckle left his lips.  
“Well, the air reeks of death and the song that is played here constantly is the song of mourning parents and families, seeing the very life of their loved ones leave them. Quite depressing indeed.” He replied, Tony holding his breath once he was given such a well-worded response. Who was this guy? The world’s next Edgar Allen Poe? No, perhaps Maya Angelou. Maybe he would become better than even the greatest of writers if he could word his sentences that well in a day to day conversation.  
“You’ve got good wording kid, you could be a great writer here.” Steve spoke, the young boy in bed smiling at that as his gaze was glued to the floor like he was recalling something in that complex mind of his.  
“My father used to tell me the same thing. He said I had potential and if I put my mind to it, do great things.” He said, Natasha smiling a bit at that.  
“He’s right, kid...It takes a lot to stay strong in a time like this. Life without two parents can be hard.” She said as Vali’s smile withered away.  
“I spent the majority of my late childhood with just my mother and brother. My father was in prison, destined to rot away because of you, remember?” He queried, silencing the room once more. It lasted like that for a while, nobody wanting to trigger the boy more than he can handle. Suddenly, Bruce spoke up.  
“What was he like, kid? We only know him as the guy with the crazy golden spiked helmet and the constant proclamations that he was burdened with glorious purpose. We just want to know who the real him is.” Vali bit his lip for a moment, trying to come up with a response that would make them hurt as much as he hurt. He wanted them to feel his pain yet also see the wondrous man that was his father.  
“He...He was what Odin was not. In fact, he was scared of parenthood more than anything. My mother told me that when he found out she was with child, he fainted on the floor due to shock and automatic panic. However, he did everything he could to make his children feel equally loved, unlike the obvious favoritism that Odin displayed when my father was younger.” He began, Steve nervously glancing at Thor who stared at the ground, slight guilt evident in his features. They were silent, waiting for the boy to continue.  
“When we were younger, he taught us how to read, write, do mathematics, and anything else of the sort himself. That’s why my wording is advanced as it is today. He saw us take great interest in some things and helped us take those interests and make them grow, never ceasing to give us his support. Because of that, Narvi and I were able to become exceptional in our crafts at young ages and he would always be there to help us and just spend time with us as a whole. That all changed after he got out of prison, though.” He continued, Thor sitting down and running a hand through his golden locks. Steve looked down at the ground, a part of him not wanting to listen further to Vali’s story.  
“When he found us after Thor had freed him from prison to help defeat Malekith, he created another version of himself, that double taking the throne of Asgard. However, the real him had taken his family to Vanaheim where he knew they would be safe. My brother and I were happy to have our father back in our lives, but he wasn’t the same man we remembered from our childhood. He was quiet most days and mother told us he found no motivation to get out of bed. He would go days without eating and drinking and he seemed just like a corpse: void of life. He would go into states of pure panic and just hold onto my mother tightly, crying and hyperventilating. My mother would have to use magic in order to put him to sleep even for a few hours. He was absolutely broken. Even to this day, I do not know what was going on inside his head during that time.” He explained, a sharp gasp escaping Natasha as Tony bit his lip. He never knew that Reindeer Games experience that type of torment and never expected to feel anything close to what he felt either.  
“As the months went on, he started getting back on his feet. He taught us more life lessons and even taught us magic when we came of age. He taught us archery and how to hunt on our own...It was like for a single moment, he was back with us. He started talking again, reading us bedtime stories, everything of the sort. When he started laughing again, I just knew that he was here to stay. He vowed to always protect us and he did to the end of the line. He died not fighting Thanos like a mighty warrior, but using himself as an obstacle to give his children a chance to escape.” He said, his voice getting quieter and quieter as he spoke. Steve drew in a shaky breath as he walked over to Vali, noticing the boy was crying silently. He placed a hand on Vali’s shoulder, the lad looking up and trying to put on a brave face despite crying.  
**_“You are a resilient fighter, Vali. We commend you for that. We’re gonna be with you every step of the way and make sure your father didn’t die in vain.”_**  
**_“Is that a promise, Captain of America?”_**  
**_“That’s a promise...and Vali?”_**  
**_“Yes, Captain of America?”_**  
**_“You can call me Steve. We’re your family now and we’re gonna be with you ‘til the end of the line.”_**  
**_“Can you promise me that?”_**  
**_“That’s a promise, Vali. You’re safe now.”_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! I am finally back on Ao3 writing up a storm! I've been busy since March and I can finally start writing more often now that things are dying down! I missed you guys and appreciate all of your love and support! You guys can comment down below and tell me what you thought of the chapter! Until then, see y'all in the next chapter! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! Welcome to "Solo"! This is definitely one of the hardest things for me to write since this was all based off of one idea that came from the "Agent of Asgard" series. This seems like more of a rough draft to me and definitely will be under revision when the story is over. I hope you stick around and enjoy the rest of the story!


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